Pataki Pride
by xblackrosefirex
Summary: Big Bob Pataki would never get the Father or Husband of the Year Award. He's crude, slightly insensitive, and a very proud man. However, there is more to Big Bob Pataki than we have all seen.


Big Bob Pataki would never get the Father of the Year Award. He's crude, slightly insensitive, and a very proud man. However, there is more to Big Bob Pataki than we have all seen.

Note: I'm very sorry this is so long. I got a couple of people or so that suggested I write a story for Bob Pataki, and this is what I came up with.

Rated T-M: for Possible language and alcohol. Some other things are in here, too. I can't remember what, so I made the rating T-M just to be on the safe side.

"Miriam! Get me one of those Yahoo Sodas! The Hillwood Rams (1) are playing the New York Hawks (2), and I don't want to get out of this chair and miss a single minute of it! MIRIAM!"

I sat in my green arm chair, calling out a cheer when the Rams scored, but right after I had told my wife to bring me a Yahoo Soda.

Miriam came slumping in, all sad and tired, and handed me my soda, with a simple, "Here you go, B." I didn't even watch her walk off, but continued cheering at the TV screen. The score was 3-0, and Hillwood was winning. If they won this game, they would be going onto the Championships.

I sipped on my soda, as a commercial break came on. I had better see that new one for my beeper company. How the hell was I supposed to run a beeper empire, if I didn't have any commercials to help sell my products?

My name is Robert Pataki. To my wife, friends and employees, I am known as Big Bob. I was born on July 24 (3), in Phoenix, Arizona to Olga and Robert Pataki. When I was five, we moved here to Hillwood. My dad had plans to open up a beeper store with the money he inherited after my grandpa's death. Life in Hillwood was pretty good, made lots of friends, and I enjoyed the new school I was going to.

Well, almost good.

I've never talked about him before, and really don't mention him to people at all. I have an older brother, named Howard. While I was growing up, I considered him to be the favorite of my parents. It was always, "Howard did this," and "Howard did that," and my all-time personal favorite, "Bob, dear, if you were just a little more like Howard…" It made me sick. I resented my older brother, and all the attention he got.

So, I formed a plan. As I got older, I began studying really hard. Pretty soon, average grades became straight A's. During my senior year of high school, I began applying to top colleges in the country, and I got into the one that I was shooting for: Hunnington College, in New York City (4) , where I majored in business. I had finally proved to my parents that I was winner, and I finally earned their praise.

After I graduated college at the age of 21, I spent that summer working at my dad's beeper shop. I had grown a huge interest in business, more so than I had when I was a student. In fact, my father told me of this place called Hillwood Business School (5), where those with business majors could attend to get hands on experience in business and marketing. I instantly applied, and got in.

I remember my very first day there. I had just walked into my first class, Marketing 101(6),which was at 9 in the morning. I had been the only one there, having arrived 20 minutes early. I did not tolerate lateness.

Another student had walked in, looking just as determined as I did. I could feel myself scowling, as I hated competition (unless I knew I could win. Then it just pleased me greatly when I wiped the floor with the damn loser).

"Names Jerry," he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Bob Pataki," I replied back.

"Cool. You a business, major?"

"That's what this school is for, right? " I asked.

"I'm trying to get into management," Jerry opened up his brief case, and took out some black folders, and a pen, "I just recently graduated from Hillwood University, and I decided to come here. What are you doing?"

"My old man runs a beeper shop. I'm trying to get enough experience to take over his company."

That actually was my goal. However, there was on huge obstacle: my older brother Howard. My father was extremely old fashioned, believing it was the oldest in the family who was next in line to own something.

I was not about to let that happen. No, I was the one with the business major. I was the one who worked at my dad's shop. If anyone deserved to inherit Big Bob's Beepers, it was me. My vow was to never let Howard get it, if it was the last thing I did.

I mean, for crying out loud, the guy never expressed any interest in running a business. He was a history major, and was currently working at the Hillwood Museum as a tour guide. What good would that do at Big Bob's Beepers?

Anyway, back to this guy named Jerry. Turns out he wasn't such a bad guy. His interests didn't endanger my plans, so I saw his as no real threat. He had invited me over for beers at his place after the day had ended, and I accepted. I found out that he also played for the football team at HBC.

I made a few more friends at HBC, Paul, Luis and Tucker. They were all pretty swell guys, and we all had one thing in common: we did not like losing. Whenever it came to business projects, we would team up, and put out skills together. Jerry was good with the intellectual stuff, Paul excelled in marketing, and Tucker's specialty was analysis. As for me? Well, I was the self-appointed leader of the group. I was good at keeping people in line.

After a few nights coming up with a new business plan for Marketing 102 (I was taking 101 and 102 at the same time), the guys and I decided to go out for a few drinks. It was almost the end of the second school year, and we had decided to celebrate.

We went to the Wet Cat, a dive bar in a rather crumby part of Hillwood. I didn't care though. The place was cheap, and I wasn't looking to spend a lot of money.

That was the place where I had met the love of my life.

I stopped short of breath when I first saw her. She had to have been the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

Feeling my confidence grow, I walked up to her.

"Hey, names Bob Pataki," I introduced myself, holding out my hand.

The woman pushed her long blonde hair behind her ear and switched her beer glass from her right hand to her left.

"Miriam Shelton," she smiled, taking mine.

Oh yeah, it was love at first sight.

"So, where are you from, Miriam? I don't think I've seen you around before."

She laughed.

"Well, I actually go to Kingston University. It's my second year there."

She began telling me what she was studying. She put so much passion into it, that I could have listened to her talk for hours. I felt like I was becoming a love-sick puppy.

After the night had ended, Miriam and I had exchanged phone numbers. I had asked her if she wanted to grab coffee with my next Friday, and lucky for me, she had accepted.

The more time I spent with Miriam, the more I harder I fell for her. She was very smart, which was something I liked in a woman. Her parents were pretty nice too, having invited me to several BBQs at their place. It wasn't before long when we had become an official couple

Yes sir, I had fallen in love with Miriam Anne Shelton (I had found out her last name in a drinking game, where a person had to say their middle name backwards, and someone had to guess what it was in 30 seconds, and if they couldn't, they had to take a shot (7)

I was so in love with her, that I decided that I wanted her to be my wife. I was going to propose to my girlfriend.

I had it all planned out. I would pick Miriam up at 7, on Friday. I would tell her to wear the nicest dress that she had, because I would be taking her to that fancy French restaurant she had always wanted to go to.

Then, we would go and take a walk around Town Square, and that was where I would ask her. I had already bought the ring: a simple, thin silver band with an elegantly cut diamond. I knew it would fit her perfectly.

The day when I was going to propose to Miriam grew closer and closer. I had informed my best buds, and they decided to take me out for beer to celebrate the good news.

Even more good news came my way. My father had given me the one thing (besides Miriam), that I had always wanted.

The old man had finally come to his senses. He realized that, as much as he loved and was proud of Howard, giving my older brother the company would have been a huge mistake. My pride soared when I heard my old man say that the business would be mine when I turned 25.

I had finally achieved my life's biggest goal. In just two years, Big Bob's Beepers would officially belong to me.

Friday had finally come. I made sure that I was on my best behavior when I picked Miriam up.

After dinner, I offered us to walk around town square, and maybe get some ice cream. She immediately accepted the idea, although I could tell she was surprised when I even suggested it. Normally, right after dinner, I drop her off at her university dorm room, and then I go home to work on some business projects for my marketing classes.

But, not this time.

We made it to a large fountain in the middle of the square. Miriam licked away at her ice cream-mint chocolate chip, admiring the way the street lights shone on the water.

Now's my chance. Right in front of her, I got down on one knee, the velvet blue box that contained the diamond ring outstretched in front of her. She gasped, and dropped her ice cream.

"Miriam, I just wanted to let you know that, whenever I'm with you, I feel like I can be anybody or anything I want to be. These past few weeks have made me the happiest I have ever been, and I would love it if I could give you some of that happiness. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Miriam Anne Shelton, would you please do the honor of becoming my wife?"

There was silence. I was smiling at her, but on the inside I was a wreck.

Please say yes! I thought over and over.

After a few seconds, tears started rolling down her face, and with a heartfelt cry, she leapt into my arms, screaming out, "Yes."

I slipped the ring onto her finger, and she looked at it with awe.

We decided to tell our families the next day. They were all very happy for us.

That is, until Miriam announced that she would be dropping out of college.

I too was floored. Who the hell decided to drop out of college just like that? It didn't even sound like something Miriam would do. Her parents, and me to some extent, begged her to reconsider. Her mother even offered a compromise: what if Miriam and I got married, but Miriam still stayed in school to earn her degree?

But Miriam stood her ground. She told everyone that this was her decision. What's more, she decided that she needed a break from college life, just for a little while. She wasn't leaving for good, but would contact her school and inform them that she would be taking a semester off.

"I want to spend that time enjoying myself as a new wife," she had said.

And nothing more was said about it. That was one of many reasons I admired Miriam. She was a strong woman, always stood her ground. When she wanted something, she was determined and goal oriented. Her parents, still visibly upset, conceded, but only at the fact that their daughter promised she would go back after one semester. I may not have entirely agreed with her choice, but I had to respect her strength.

Miriam and I began planning our wedding. We decided that we wanted to get married as soon as possible.

The wedding would be small, family and a small group of friends, only. I had picked Jerry to be my best man, and Paul, Luis and Tucker were my groomsmen. Miriam's sister Carol would fill in as maid of honor, and some friend of hers would be bridesmaids.

I had also asked my older brother to fill in as another groomsmen. He understood why I didn't want him as a best man. Quite frankly, I wasn't awarded that position at his wedding either. However, I will say that my relationship with him has slightly improved. Perhaps that's because we aren't living together.

I also requested that his three year old daughter, Ella, be the flower girl at our wedding.

We got married on October 10. It was a day I would never forget:

The music played while the bridesmaids, both with their assigned groomsmen walked down the aisle. All of them looked nice, but they weren't what I was looking forward to seeing.

The guests turned their heads, and I swear the breath I was holding suddenly got tighter.

There was Miriam, smiling at me brightly, her arm linked with her fathers. Her normally straight blonde hair had been curled, with some strands pulled back. Her make-up was very simple: some mascara, light pink blush and light pink lip gloss. The dress she wore, was her mothers. Long, white lace sleeves reached her delicate fingertips, and the ball gown skirt, complete with lace and beadwork seemed to make her look like she was floating towards me.

As the ceremony went on, Miriam and I couldn't help but stare only into each others eyes. It was like we were lost in one another, and I was more than happy about it.

A few moments went by, until it finally reached the conclusion of the ceremony. Our rings were on our fingers. The next step sealed everything.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Washington (8), I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

The after-party was filled with drinking, music and dancing. My friends all patted me on the back, congratulating me on my big day and my new wife.

Miriam's friends and sister all crowded around her, giving her hugs and words of wisdom.

We had our honeymoon in Lake Tahoe, which was perfect for us. We celebrated our status as a married couple like no other. And, because at the time I didn't give a damn, I would go out and buy alcohol to bring back to the long cabin we were staying in. Miriam, being just 20 years old, could not buy alcohol, so I had to do it. She would stay by the fire, reading a book of some sort while I went out and bought food and drinks.

And yes, I was fully aware that buying alcohol for a minor was very illegal. However, this was the happiest moment of my life, and what the law didn't know wouldn't hurt it, right?

Besides, even if someone did find those bottles, there's no way they could prove that Miriam had drunken them, or that I had bought them for the both of us.

We continued to enjoy ourselves, but the happiness was cut short.

I had received a call from my mother, who sounded very upset. She had informed me that my father had died of a heart attack a couple of nights ago, and that she didn't want to call me right away due to me just being married.

I was in a state of shock. My father appeared to be very healthy at my wedding. He never smoked, drank in moderation, and exercised. What's more, he was at a pretty decent weight for someone his height and age. How does a man like that die of a freaking heart attack in just a little over a week?

I announced to Miriam that our honeymoon would have to be cut short, and why. We would be flying back to Hillwood early in the morning.

My dad's funeral was held a couple of days later. My mother decided that he would be buried in the family plot, right next to where her headstone was (she had ordered one for herself about two years ago).

It was a very quiet ceremony. Miriam held onto my mother's hand, offering her words of comfort. I gave my mother a few hugs here and there, but there was something on my mind.

I was now officially the new owner and chief of Big Bob's Beepers. A gift that was to come on my 25th birthday came sooner than anyone could have ever expected. Although I was very pleased with this news, I was not happy about the situation. I never wanted my own father's death to be the cause.

What's more, I also learned that in his will, my father left his house to his wife, but he also left his second home, a house on the other side of Hillwood, to me and Miriam. Not only was I now the sole owner of the family company, but Miriam and I had our own house.

Life went on. I enjoyed my new job as the boss, but it was very stressful. Constantly dealing with morons every day made me want to vomit.

I mean, what was so dang hard about filling out an order form for a customer? Some bimbo couldn't even write down the number of beepers a customer was ordering. It was all I could do to keep myself from ripping out my already greying hair.

How the hell did dad put up with these losers? All they did was complain about their day, screwed up on orders, or came to work late. They contributed nothing to the business.

That was going to change. No more incompetent saps. Big Bob's Beepers was going to be taken seriously. It was going to be a success like you wouldn't believe, and if I had to fire the entire staff to make sure that would happen, then so be it.

I was already making a list of who I was getting rid of.

I hate to admit this, but my stress at work followed me home. There were times when I would just snap at Miriam. I would start to put her down for almost everything that she did. And in truth, I felt horrible about it. This was no way to treat your wife. I brushed it off as being overworked with brainless staff. However, I apologized to Miriam, and promised to take her out to her favorite restaurant. Life between us was good again.

Then, just a few months later, Miriam hit me with a total curve ball.

I had come home from work to see her standing in the kitchen. She had a very worried look on her face, like something was terribly wrong.

"Well for crying out loud, Miriam! Spit it out already! Why are you just standing there, like that?" I snapped.

She took a deep breath.

"B…I'm…I'm pregnant."

Wait, what?

My jaw must have hit the floor.

"How? What? What do you mean pregnant?"

She rolled her eyes at me.

"I mean, B, that I'm pregnant," she said, like it was so obvious.

' "But...But…but you were on the pill! I even used condoms for extra protection? How the hell did this even happen, Miriam? Are you even sure that you're pregnant? I'll go down to the drug store right now and buy you another test. The one you took could have been a false positive."

She shook her head, and then left for the bathroom. When she came back, she had three pregnancy tests in her hand, and laid them out on the table.

Each one had a pink plus sign. You couldn't get any more positive than that.

I was shocked, beyond shocked. This wasn't supposed to happen, not for at least another ten years. Miriam and I had just started our lives as newlyweds. I had just started my new job, we weren't making that much money yet. How the hell were we going to even do this?

"Well, B, what do you want to do about this?" Miriam asked me, "We need to decide as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the fewer our options."

Fewer our options? There were no options. I knew what we were going to do.

"We keep the baby," I said. Miriam's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"I said, we keep the baby."

Hell, even I didn't know what I was saying. Keep the baby? Was I out of my mind?

"Are you sure B? I mean, this baby wasn't planned by either of us, and I'm not so sure I can…"

I held my hand up, silencing her.

"The right thing to do, Miriam, would be to have this baby. We need to step up to the plate now, no more goofing around. Now, look. I realize that this came at the worst time, but that doesn't matter. This baby is coming out of you, whether you or I like it or not. And just so you know, if you have any ideas about abortion, then forget it. It's an innocent child, Miriam. Abortion is murder, and the easy way out. We Pataki's don't take the easy way out. We face our challenges head on."

Miriam stared at me, but no words needed to be said. I knew she HAD thought of abortion. I knew where she was coming from. Neither one of us were ready to raise a child. My wife wasn't even old enough to drink, and here she was, pregnant.

But abortion was out of the question. I had always believed it to be wrong, and only cowards (9) take the easy way out. No, Miriam would have this baby, and I would support her.

After a long time, she took a deep breath.

"Ok," was all she said.

We spent the next few months getting ready for the new baby. Miriam pregnant was the most interesting and rather strange thing I have ever experienced. On more than one occasion, she would send me out early in the morning to pick her up Chinese food. She would eat disgusting food combinations, her favorite being anchovies mixed in with chocolate ice cream.

When she was four months pregnant, we went to have an annual checkup, to see how the baby was doing.

The doctor dragged some weird looking thing across my wife's stomach. On the screen in front of us was an image of our child.

I smiled. The baby looked strong. Just like his father.

Of course I was hoping for a boy. A son that I would pass on the Pataki pride to. I had already thought of good strong names, and they all went great with the last name Pataki.

"So, doctor, when can we know what we're having?" Miriam asked, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Now's a good time," the doctor answered, "Would you like to know? I'm getting a good picture here."

Miriam and I looked at each other.

"We already know what it is!" I exclaimed.

"We do?" Miriam asked.

"Well of course we do. That's our son in there, a strong and healthy boy." The doctor smiled a knowing smile.

I didn't like that.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pataki, would you like to say hello to your baby girl?"

I hit the floor, but the last thing I heard was Miriam howling with laughter.

Miriam had decided that the baby's room would be painted blue with some traces of pink. Our folks also threw Miriam a baby shower. Even though Miriam appeared happy and thanked everyone for their gifts, she still appeared unsure that she could do this.

But it was too late to back out now. In less than a month, the baby would be here.

Sure enough, Miriam went into labor sometime in the early morning of September 8th. I was watching the game when she came waddling out of her bedroom, a scared look on her face.

"B," she said in a shaky voice, "It's time!"

I drove to the hospital as fast as I could. I had phoned our doctor ahead of time.

The labor itself was a long 14 hours. I held Miriam's hand as she screamed out in pain, her face covered in sweat. Her blonde hair stuck to her forehead.

Then, on September 9, at 6:00 in the evening, our baby was finally here. Miriam and I had decided to name her Olga, after my mother.

We brought the baby home three days later, and almost instantly family was coming over. Miriam's mother had offered to live with us for the first few weeks of Olga's life, to which Miriam readily agreed to.

I had to admit, Olga wasn't like all of the other babies that I've been around. She hardly cried, and spent most of her time sleeping. Compared to my niece Ella, she was a dream baby. After my brother and his wife brought Ella home, that kid did nothing but cry. Nothing would ever put that kid to sleep.

Oh, Olga would cry every once in a while, but not as much as Ella did.

After Miriam's mother left, I noticed that something was very wrong with my wife. There were times when she didn't even want to be around Olga. Every morning, I would come into the kitchen to see her breast feeding our daughter. Olga was sound asleep, but Miriam looked exhausted and miserable. She never said anything, but no words were needed. I knew what she was thinking: why did we ever do this? I also knew that a huge part of her blamed me for all of this.

I understood where Miriam was coming from. I once watched my niece Ella for an entire weekend, so I knew just how hard a baby could be. However, I also hoped that she understood that the both of us can't stay home and watch the kid. The money to pay the bills and put food on the table had to come from somewhere, and I was the one working. Miriam did not have a job, and Olga was too young to be looked after by a babysitter, or put into a daycare program.

Another reason why I think Miriam looked so miserable, is because before she found out she was pregnant, she had talked to me about going back to school. Said she got bored with sitting around the house all day, and wanted to have something to do. I wasn't against the idea, and told her she needed to call her university and let them know that she was coming back.

Then, she got pregnant, and it must have been the worst news she ever received. There was no way she could go back to school now. Even when Olga turned 18 and moved out, I doubt that Miriam would want to go back even then.

Despite not really wanting to be around Olga at times, I knew that Miriam loved our daughter. There were a few times when she enjoyed playing with Olga. She even had a picture of Olga was she was just a few minutes old by her bedside table. She also enjoyed taking our daughter to the park and showing her off to her friends.

But, I could tell that she wishes that we both had waited for the right time.

Olga grew up to be a very happy and curious child. At just a little over a year, she started walking. The kid was everywhere. She was also a very outgoing baby, and when she learned to talk, she would walk up and say to everyone we saw on the street.

But what made me the happiest, was the fact that by the time Olga was six years old, she was already reading at a fifth grade level. She could pronounce words that Miriam and I had never even heard of. What's more, she was at the top of her first grade class, and so far nobody had touched her position.

My Olga was a winner. I loved showing off her accomplishments and skills to all of my friends.

Three years later, Miriam announced that she was pregnant once again. She didn't even appear happy about it, and to be honest, neither did I. I didn't really know what to think when Miriam showed me the test. I wasn't exactly angry about it, but not exactly thrilled, either. If anything, I was hoping for a boy this time. However, after a long conversation, both Miriam and I decided that this was it for us. We would have no more children, and I think she was more than happy to agree with me. I could tell she was just as done as I was. Many people shoot for three or six. For us, two is enough.

The rest of our family took the news of Miriam's second (and final) pregnancy very well. Miriam would put a smile on her face, just like she did when she was pregnant with Olga, but her eyes told a different story.

And just like the first baby, we found out that we were having another girl. I wasn't at all excited about this, but as long as the kid came out normal and healthy, I really didn't give a damn. Besides, as much as I wanted a boy, I don't think I could talk Miriam into having another kid.

Olga however, was a different story. The second we told her she was going to be a big sister, she danced around the house with happiness. The second we told her it was a girl, she nearly blew our ears out with excitement.

On March 26, out second daughter was born at 10:20 PM. Miriam and I had named her Helga, and when I saw the baby, my jaw dropped.

Olga resembled her mother. This new kid, looked just like me. She had the same unibrow, and what's more the same damn scowl I instantly knew this kid would be giving us a run for our money.

Helga, unlike her sister, was a very loud baby, constantly cranky. Whenever she didn't like something, she would let you know in a heartbeat. She was way more difficult than Olga.

After Helga was born, Miriam told me she was planning to get her tubes tied. I offered (maybe a little too quickly) to pay for the entire operation.

"I don't want any more kids, B," she had said, and the second part went without saying, "I didn't even really want the two that we already have."

By the time Helga was one, just like her sister, she was already walking. There were other things I noticed about her.

Whenever I took her to the park, despite her age and tiny frame, she would easily dominate all of the other kids. She wouldn't let just anybody touch her toys, and if you wanted to play in the sandbox with her, you had to give her something in return.

Olga was a winner, just like me, just like all Pataki's should be. However, Helga was in a class all her own. Whereas Olga was sociable and inviting, Helga was bossy and put-offish. Not only did she look like me, but she took after me as well. In fact, we were so similar, it scared me. I could only imagine what she would go with her life when she was all grown up.

Despite the fact that we had two daughters, most of Miriam's and my attention went straight to Olga. We would brag about all of her accomplishments and praise her for every single A she got. When she turned 15, she was class Valedictorian, and a classically trained pianist. The girl was a stinkin' genius! (10)

And little Helga was left to fend for herself.

It wasn't hard to understand why I invested so much into Olga. She was everything Pataki: smart, sensible, and a winner. However, that didn't mean that I didn't care about Helga. She just wasn't the person I hoped she would be. Olga lived the Pataki pride, whereas Helga seemed like she really didn't want anything to do with it.

Also unlike Olga, Helga would get into the most trouble. I lost count over how many times I got a call from the school principal, letting me know that Helga was being sent home for punching a student.

I remember the tenth call I received that year.

Helga had walked through the front door, with her usual scowl on her face. The moment I saw her, it was business.

"Alright, little lady! You park your fanny in the trophy room, pronto!"

When she got there, I began pacing the room.

"We never had this problem with Olga," I ranted, "I don't know what's with you, girl! Why did you even hit that kid in the first place? What was he doing, anyway?"

Helga sighed.

"If you must know, Bob, I hit Brainy because he was standing behind me, breathing."

My eyes widened.

"Wait, he was doing what now?"

"Breathing," Helga repeated, "I just wanted a moment alone, and there he was standing over my shoulder, breathing like some crazy person!"

I blinked. Well, that sort of changed everything. In a way, I had to keep myself from smiling. To be honest, I didn't know whether to be proud, or frustrated. Probably both. I was proud that Helga would stand up for herself, but frustrated at all of those phone calls. I told Helga that while I understood why she did what she did, I asked her to hold off on punching the kid.

During one month in October, Miriam announced that she would be going away to visit her mother, who was sick. I was stuck with the girl for an entire week. We both begged her to not to go. I didn't even want to spend time with Helga, and for her the feeling was mutual. How could Miriam do this to me? Sure, I liked the kid, but I didn't know the first thing about her. How the hell was I supposed to run a beeper empire when I'm stuck with the girl?"

I thought spending time with the girl would have landed me a one way ticket to the crazy farm. To tell the truth, however, it wasn't that bad. I actually kind of enjoyed it. I found out a lot about Helga. Her likes and dislikes, but what really caught my eye, was that out of both of my children, she was the most like me. In looks and in personality. It was like watching a younger, female version of myself. In all honesty, I was shocked at how similar we were. I knew how similar we were before, but this week spent together really spoke volumes.

The game finally came back on. However, I couldn't focus on it. Instead, I began thinking about my life, my marriage, and my two daughters.

My marriage was falling apart. I wouldn't divorce Miriam, though. I was strongly against divorce, to be honest. I didn't exactly choose the life I had, but this was the life I made for myself, and now I had to live with it.

What's more, I was pretty sure that Miriam and I no longer loved each other. I still cared about her though.

Overall, I do have a good life, but there were some things that I wish I could go back in time and change.

I wished that I had given the idea of marriage a little more time, than proposing as quickly as I did.

I wished that Miriam and I had been more careful with pregnancy prevention.

I also wished that Miriam got her license back, so she could partake in the driving.

That's right! Miriam got a DUI (11). It was 3 in the morning, when the phone started ringing. And let me tell you, I was pissed. I picked it up, demanding to know what moron was calling at such an hour. It was Miriam. She had said that she had been arrested for driving drunk, and needed me to come and pick her up from jail. When I heard that, I flipped my freaking lid. I drove down to the jail, and bailed my wife out. When Miriam into the car, I really let her have it:

"This is an outrage, Miriam! Are you TRYING to embarrass the Pataki name? Driving drunk, of all things! You know what, Miriam? You have become so pathetic! Now, I mean it! Your court date is in one week, and I don't care what you have to do! I don't give a damn if you have to camp outside the court house, you are going to make sure your ass is down there at 9 AM SHARP next Monday. In fact, I'm going to drive you there myself! And if you think you're going to get out of whatever sentence the judge gives you, then think again! Good God, I can't freaking believe this! Miriam, I better not hear of you pulling this kind of crap ever again, do you hear me?!"

And for the record, no, I do not think what I said to Miriam was out of line. She got herself into this mess! In fact, she should be damn grateful that I even bailed her out. What she did was totally stupid and irresponsible! Yeah, I was pissed, not to mention embarrassed. I couldn't have the guys down at the beeper emporium know that my wife was driving drunk and getting a DUI. It would ruin the business! But most of all, Miriam could have gotten seriously hurt. In a way, I'm thankful that she got pulled over before it got much worse.

I turned the TV off, and decided to go take a walk. While I walked, my thoughts went to my kids.

Olga was now 28 years old, happily married. She had a little boy, and she was currently pregnant with her second child. She had stopped teaching little children in some state called Alaska. Now, she was teaching at the university, but was on maternity leave.

Helga was in her second year of college as well, and would be graduating next year. She was majoring in English literature, with a minor in Art History. However, she decided to drop her minor, and change it to business. I smiled when I heard what she had decided.

I pulled my jacket around my tighter, as it was getting cold.

I began thinking of Miriam.

Like I said, I may not love my wife anymore, but I still cared for her deeply. I wanted to apologize for all the bad things I've said to her, and the way I treated her. I decided that I needed to start being a better husband to Miriam, show her that she can be happy again.

I also needed to find some way to get her into a twelve step program. Miriam had become an alcoholic. She was constantly drunk or passed out from being too drunk. I didn't mind her drinking her and there, but for Miriam, it wasn't here and there. It was all the damn time. She would slur her words, lose things, and forget to keep her promises. I would talk to her in the morning about this.

My thoughts also went to my two daughters.

I was so proud of Olga, and everything she had done. Looking back, I am so glad that she was our daughter. Her accomplishments were unmatched, and she was everything Pataki.

But Helga? Helga was in a class all her own. She may not have had the Pataki pride. She may not have had many accomplishments. She may not have been the winner that I wanted her to be. In truth, I was just as proud of Helga as I was Olga. My youngest daughter has a fiercely independent nature, and that was something I admired. I guess you could say that in a way, I favored her over Olga, simply because she was the most like me.

I wanted so badly to patch things up with both Miriam and Helga. They deserved so much better, and better they would get.

I turned around, and walked back home. The sun was already setting. Even though I've made many mistakes in my life, I couldn't help but smile.

I may not deserve father of the year award, but I loved my family more than anything.

The sun blinded my eyes. Most people would have complained about the powerful bright light.

To Big Bob Pataki, it was the beginning of a new day. For a better husband, and a better father.

Notes:

1) I made up a name for a sports team in Hillwood.

2) See number two, but for New York.

3) This was hard. I researched several zodiac signs, and tried to find one that fit, or was at least closest to, Bob Pataki. I picked Leo, and here is why: if we look at Bob Pataki's character, he is a very prideful and boorish man. He prides himself on being the head of the Pataki family, hence the whole, "King of the Jungle," profile. He does not take kindly to other people challenging his authority. He also can come off as bossy and stubborn, and as stated in the show that what's good for him is good for all of the Pataki's. It's also, probably because of his temper and authoritative attitude, that helped influence Miriam to be afraid to speak up about anything, for fear of getting into an argument (has anyone noticed that she never questions or challenged Bob? Unless you don't count the episode Beeper Queen, she never questions him. ). I also chose Leo, because they also have an irresistibly charming side to them, which I'm guessing was the side that Miriam fell in love with. They can be passionate and loving, which was probably the way Bob was before he got married. However, Leo's can also be boorish, bossy, and boastful. Despite all this, Bob has, on a few occasions, shown that he truly does care for his family, and loves his wife and both of his daughters very, very much. It's not necessarily that he's a bad father (although, he's not great, either), but he tends to relate to people more like him, hence his constant bragging and attentiveness towards Olga. And while he may not exactly love Miriam, I think he truly does care for her. However, he simply does not know how to deal with a severely depressed alcoholic wife. So, rather than try to actually deal with the problem, he chooses to ignore it, and leaves Miriam to her own devices. As for Helga, although Bob ignores her, forgets her name, as well as how old she is (seriously how the hell do you forget what your kids name is, or even how old they are?), he truly does love Helga. We see this in these episodes:

• Save The Tree: Bob plans to cut down Mighty Pete, because he wants to put another beeper store there. However, Arnold and his friends fight back, but this doesn't stop Bob and his partner, Nick Vermicelli from bringing a bull-dozer. When Bob sees Helga up in the tree, he instantly protests Nick about cutting it down, while Helga was in it. To quote him, "But, my kid's up there!"

Arnold's Halloween: Bob, along with practically everyone in Hillwood, falls for the alien invasion prank that Arnold and his friends had pulled on the entire city. Bob has prepared himself for battle, and caught one of the so-called aliens (really, it was Helga). He begins to wring her neck, with Arnold begging him to stop. However, the water tower breaks and falls on everyone, washing away the make up the kids were wearing. Finally seeing that it was, in fact, Helga, Bob expressed great disbelief, fear, and disgust with himself, at the fact that he almost killed his own daughter.

Arnold's Thanksgiving: Bob angrily sends Helga to her room, when she announces that she is not thankful for anything. When she goes for a couple of hours, he and the other Pataki's freak out, assuming that Helga has gone missing. When Helga arrives home, he expresses that he is glad that she is safe, and that they are all very thankful that she is their daughter. So, Bob truly does love and care about Helga, but does not know how to relate to her.

4) As far as I know, this is not a real college in New York City. However, it could exist other places.

5) Also a made up place. I always thought that if Bob Pataki went to college ( we don't know for sure), he would have majored in business. So, it made sense that he would go to a business school to get a hands on experience and work on actual business projects.

6) I don't know what kind of courses they teach in business school, so I just made some up.

7) A drinking game I made up. As far as I know, it doesn't exist, but maybe someone should try it out and tell me what they think. Just drink responsibly people.

8) You all might be wondering why I chose the state of Washington. First, before we get into that, I'll assume that those reading this story are very familiar with Hey Arnold. Now, what is the name of the city where our favorite football head lives? Hillwood. And what city is Hillwood based on? According to Craig Bartlett, Hillwood is based on Seattle, which is in the state of Washington. What's more, at the end of the episode, Road Trip, there is a sign saying, "Welcome to Seattle." For more information on this, go check out the Hey Arnold Wiki.

9) Please note that this is not how I actually feel about abortion. I had always pictured Bob being extremely against it, though.

10) This quote, where Bob is praising Olga by saying, "the girl's a stinkin' genius," is taken from the episode, Helga on the Couch.

11) In the episode, Beeper Queen, it is revealed that Miriam does not have her driver's license. I made up a small scenario to explain why this is: she lost it because she had received a DUI. It should also be noted that in one of the episodes for Hey Arnold, Bob reminds Miriam that she has community service to do.

So, let's look at what we know here: Miriam is an alcoholic, she doesn't have her license, and she has to do community service. I'm not saying that if you're an alcoholic, then you will automatically get a DUI (I don't want to offend anyone), I just chose the most reasonable explanation.

However, this doesn't stop Miriam from driving. We see this in the episodes Beeper Queen and Road Trip.

I didn't number this, but the quote where Bob says, "you park your fanny…" is from, if I can remember correctly, Helga on the Couch.

So that's my fic for Big Bob Pataki. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Up next is another Hey Arnold fic, based around Helga. I'm going to have two stories with her, because this next one is AU.

Read and review, please!

Last note: The analysis for Bob's zodiac sign was from the help of these websites:

soulmatestarsDOTcom

astrologyDOTcom

leozodiacsignDOTnet

I also used my book Lovestrology by Phyllis Vega. I didn't include any quotes or page numbers, because I didn't actually take stuff from there. It was more like a guide.

They (the websites) should all come up if you google them. I've actually tried putting in a full website on here before, but it never worked very well. If anyone wants the links, I can PM them to you.


End file.
